Looking Through The Glass  Pearlshipping OneShot
by TrainerOfLegend
Summary: Ash, anxious to take on the Sinnoh League in a few days, decides to take a walk, and Dawn joins. However, their little travel ends up as an adventure through their future. What does the future hold for them? Will Ash and Dawn be able to get out?


Looking Through The Glass

Ash, Dawn and Brock were on their way to grab the ferry leading to the Sinnoh League Tournament. Once they got there, however, the ferry had left a few hours ago and would not come back until the next day. Ash, disappointed, carried on to the nearest Pokémon Center. Once Ash grabbed hold of some food, all his troubles went away as he slouched in a nearby sofa, with Pikachu resting in his lap. Dawn was feeding Piplup a few feet away, and Brock was busy making food for his own Pokémon.

"How can you be so relaxed when the Sinnoh League is coming up in a week?" asked a confused Dawn.

"Relaxing helps me concentrate. Plus, that long walk here was tiring!" said Ash, lying back on the sofa.

"I see." said Dawn as she smiled back at Ash.

Ash looked at Dawn, puzzled, and decided to take a walk. He woke Pikachu up, and the little Pokémon jumped on his shoulder.

"I'm going out for a walk." said Ash as he stood up and started walking towards the exit.

"Hey Ash, wait! I'm coming too!" shouted Dawn as she raced off, following Ash closely behind. Piplup, being held in Dawn's arms, was confused about Dawn's urgency.

While Dawn was exiting, Brock looked up, then went back to his Pokémon.

"I have a feeling those two won't be back for a while."

"Croooa-gunk"

When Ash stepped out, he could feel the nighttime breeze gently move his hair. Pikachu too, felt the wind and held tightly to Ash's shoulder. Dawn followed closely behind.

"Ash, it's getting late, and the ferry leaves in the morning."

"Don't worry Dawn, I'm just out for a stroll. You don't have to come with me."

"Well, I'll join you then! No sense in staying inside when you've got a beautiful full moon. " said Dawn as she looked up at the full moon, surrounded by hundreds of stars.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" said Ash smiling.

Dawn nodded, then looked to the side. Ash was staring at the moon intensely, like he had never seen anything like it. She smiled and tried to cherish the moment, but Ash interrupted.

"Well, back to the walk!" said Ash as he and Pikachu marched on towards the woods.

"A-Ash, wait up!" said Dawn as she stopped admiring the sky and ran to keep up with Ash. \

"So, why did you come here in the first place?" asked Dawn, now standing next to Ash, who just seemed to stare at the sky with his arms behind his head. He lowered his arms and looked at Dawn.

"I just want to unwind. I'll be too busy training during the League to take some time off."

"So, you've got no time for me?"

Ash, unsure of what he heard, looked back at Dawn. She stared off into space meanwhile.

"What do you mean?" Ash was perplexed, as he thought Dawn understood that he needed all the time he could get in order to win the league.

"Oh, nothing." said Dawn in a calm, cool voice, never letting her eyes move away from the stars. Ash took note of this also. After a few moments of silence, Ash decided to spark conversation.

"You know Dawn, you've grown a lot ever since the Wallace Cup." Dawn looked at Ash, surprised and happy that her close friend and traveling companion had noticed.

"In what way?" asked Dawn, eager to find out more.

"Well, you've become much more focused and you never seem to take a break from Contest Training. You'll be a Top Coordinator in no time!" Ash said excitedly, raising his fist into the air. Dawn stopped, and blushed slightly. Ash stopped too.

"Y-You really think so, Ash?"

"Of course!" said Ash as he put his hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"You know, you've really improved too." said Dawn in a low voice. But, before she could even finish, Ash was already a dozen feet away, and didn't hear Dawn.

In a few minutes, the two reached the forest.

"Ash, are you sure we should be here? It is getting kind of late."

" No need to worry! It'll just be a few minutes."

Suddenly, Ash stopped, with Dawn doing the same closely behind.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"There's a guy, and an Alakazam... Meditating?" said Ash, sounding very confused.

A few feet away from Ash and Dawn, there was a man who looked like he was in his mid-30s. Besides him was an Alakazam. Both were meditating and had their eyes closed.

"Wait, let me see." said Dawn as she tried to look over Ash's shoulder.

"No wait Dawn!" whispered Ash, before Dawn tripped and they both fell to the floor.

The sound reached the two that were meditating, but only the man opened his eyes and stood up.

"Who are you?" asked the man.

"My name's Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!"

"And I'm Dawn. Sorry for disturbing you."

"No problem. My name is Samsel, and I'm a Psychic. Me and Alakazam come here every night to meditate."

"I've never met a real Psychic before!" said Dawn.

"It's a very interesting profession." said Samsel as he looked at Pikachu, who was walking towards Alakazam, extending his arm to touch him.

"Don't touch him!" shouted Samsel suddenly, abruptly pushing Pikachu with his arm away from Alakazam.

"What was that for?" shouted Ash.

"Pika-Chuu!" Pikachu, frustrated by Samsel's push, used Thunderbolt to shock Samsel. However, Pikachu's electric attack shocked not just samsel, but Ash, Dawn, Piplup and Alakazam as well. Alakazam's eyes opened.

Then, Alakazam's spoons and eyes started to glow.

"No!" shouted Samsel, with Ash and Dawn staring in confusion. A few seconds later, Alakazam's whole body started to glow, and then a huge flash engulfed all six of them.

"Ash! Dawn!" shouted a voice that woke up both Ash and Dawn.

"Ugh. Where are we?" questioned Ash, as he began looking around. Pikachu, Dawn, Piplup and Alakazam were all there. All of them were just waking up.

"Are we in a...GLASS BOX?" shouted Dawn, running from side to side. They were all stuck inside a space a foot taller than Ash or Dawn, and only 6 feet wide.

"Ash and Dawn, are you there?" went the voice again.

"Samsel, is that you?"

"Yes."

"Wanna explain?" demanded Dawn, looking all over.

"When Pikachu's Thunderbolt shocked Alakazam, it broke his connection with Time. This caused all a rift in Time, sucking you all in. That was the flash you saw. I am talking to you via Alakazam's body, still physically here."

"Then, why are both of you there, and not here?"

"Oh, well Alakazam is the source of the rift, so his body remains here, while his conscious drifted with you guys. As for me, I held onto a nearby tree."

"Well that's just great! Mind telling us how to get out?" demanded Dawn again.

"Alakazam was able to connect with Time by using the Adamant Spoons made by a piece of Dialga's Adamant Orb. I don't really know how to get you guys out. So stay put while I think of something!"

"Hey!" shouted Ash.

"Oh, almost forgot. Ash and Dawn, you might start seeing "visions" of your future. Don't let them get to your head."

"I guess we're sitting Psyducks." said Ash as he sat down, disappointed.

"YOU just HAD to take a walk, didn't you Ash?"

"Now it's all my fault! You were the one that joined me!"

"Well, it WAS your Pikachu the one that started this whole thing."

"Whatever! Arguing won't do us any good."

"You're right." said Dawn as she sighed, then sat next to Ash.

Suddenly, the blank, empty space that was beyond the glass turned into one of those "visions" that Samsel had mentioned. It was in the Sinnoh League's arena, with Paul on the opposite side. The vision was from Ash's perspective, since Pikachu was on his side. On Paul's side, Magmortar.

"Cool! I get to fight Paul in the Sinnoh League!"

"Wow! So this is a League battle."

Pikachu and Magmortar seemed very beat up and tired. Ash ordered one final Thunder attack which scored a direct hit on Magmortar, knocking it down and winning Ash the battle.

"Cool! Guess I get to beat Paul."

The vision suddenly changes to another battle, with a mysterious woman against Ash.

The battle started, and it is announced that this battle decides who wins the Sinnoh League. Ash sends out Infernape, while the Mystery Trainer sends out Darkrai.

"Darkrai?" asked Dawn, amazed.

The mystery trainer, signaled Darkrai to use Dark Void. Before Ash could call a move, a dark circle surrounded and engulfed Infernape, putting him to sleep. However, Darkrai did not stop sending out Voids, and one of them hit Ash.

"Wait, did Darkrai use Dark Void... on me?"

"I think so. Why would she do that?"

Ash's vision turned pitch black, then several screams could be heard.

"W-What's happening to me?" asked a troubled Ash. Dawn looked at him, and was horrified by what she saw.

Ash was nervous, even shaking. He was sweating, and his eyes were locked to the vision of the future.

"Ash, are you okay?" asked Dawn worriedly.

"Y-Yeah." said Ash, never once turning his head to look at her.

The vision shifted over to Dawn's perspective. She was in the stands, holding Piplup.

"ASH!" shouted Dawn as she ran down the stairs and jumped over to the stadium. Ash was laying on the ground, unconscious with Infernape sleeping closely besides him.

A tear ran down Dawn's face as she watched her future self run and crouch besides Ash.

"Ash, wake up!" screamed Dawn as she pounded on his chest.

Brock came running to both of them.

"Looks like she's gone." said Brock, regarding the mystery trainer.

"It doesn't matter! Isn't Dark Void suppose to make Pokémon sleep?" cried Dawn, with tears running through her face.

"It makes Pokémon sleep. However, it has a different effects on human minds."

The incident caused commotion throughout the stadium. Some raced off running for the exits, while others stayed to see Ash's fate. Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy came to the site, followed by four League staff holding a stretcher. Brock picked up Pikachu while Ash was taken away in the stretcher.

Back in the glass box, Ash, Dawn, Piplup and Pikachu were watching in shock. Everyone was crying, except for Ash. He just stood there, motionless trying to soak up what he was seeing. Dawn noticed this.

"Remember, Samsel said not to believe everything we see." Ash didn't bother to respond this time.

The vision changed to Dawn staring at a river, standing on its bank. She reached for something on her purse, and took out her Ribbon Case.

"What are you doing, Dawn?" asked Ash, breaking the silence.

Dawn gripped her Ribbon Case with both hands and a few tears splashed unto the case. She then threw it out to the river, where the current pushed it away from Dawn's sight.

"I... I just gave up on my dreams." said Dawn, answering Ash's earlier question. Ash was surprised.

"Why'd you do that?" asks Ash, not understanding why Dawn would give up on her dreams of becoming Top Coordinator.

In the vision, Dawn turned around where Brock told her that the funeral is about to begin.

"There's no point if you're not there with me." whispered Dawn, but Ash could still hear her.

"But...why would you give up on your dreams just because I'm not there with you?"

Dawn started crying and walked closer to him. She took a deep breath and slapped Ash across his face.

"Because I love you Ash Ketchum!" shouted Dawn. Piplup and Pikachu were quietly watching from the floor.

Ash calmed down, and hugged Dawn.

"Dawn, I love you too. But please, promise me one thing; You and I will never give up on our dreams."

Dawn agreed, and she kissed Ash, much to his surprise.

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Ash, Dawn!"

"It's Samsel!"

"I think I got the solution. You guys should zap back here in a few seconds."

"Really?"

The four began to celebrate, jumping up and down in joy. The few seconds were up, and a flash engulfed everything inside the glass box.

Before they knew it, they were back on safe, non transparent ground.

"Hey! Sorry for putting you guys into that. Did you see anything disturbing?"

"Well, yeah." said Dawn as she looked down, depressed by what she saw.

"Forget about it. Time likes to mess with people's heads. " said Samsel, trying to cheer the two up. He then looked at Dawn and Ash, who were holding hands.

"I see you 'connected' during your trip through time, eh?"

"What?" the couple said in unison, before staring at their hands and quickly releasing them. They started to blush.

"Anyway, how did you save us?"

"Easy. After looking through a couple of my books, I had yet to find the answer. I decided to break the Adamant Spoons."

"Why do that?" said Ash, staring in confusion. He wondered why Samsel would break an item as precious and valuable as that.

"Seeing the future is dangerous. Knowing what lies ahead, you won't _look _ahead, and the mystery of life would be no more." Ash and Dawn looked at each other, and nodded. She then looked at her watch and decided that it was pretty late and Brock would worry, so they headed to the Pokémon Center, ready to face whatever lies ahead together.


End file.
